Disclosed in embodiments herein is an impact protection device for an athletic shoe, and more specifically a detachable toe protector for athletic footwear having removable cleats.
Athletes are prone to a common type of foot injury while wearing cleated footwear which involves crushing or deformation of the toe-box area when external compressive forces are applied to the front of the footwear. Football players, especially offensive and defensive linemen, are susceptible to crush injuries from another player stepping on the player's cleated footwear, shown generally at 100 in FIG. 1. Rugby players encounter similar injuries. Baseball players face a variety of hazards including foul tips off the player's foot, and being spiked by another player's cleat which crushes the toe-box of the cleat. The toe-box 110 of athletic cleated footwear 100, including football cleats and baseball cleats, among others, will typically collapse or deform during these events as they come under loads which might exceed six times body weight. The resulting injuries can be acute, subacute or chronic and can include, but are not limited to subungual hematoma (i.e. blood clot under the injured toenail), ingrown toenail, sprain-ligament damage (known as “turf toe”), fracture, extensor/flexor tendonitis or tear. These injuries can adversely affect an athlete's performance and may require significant medical treatment and prolonged rehabilitation. They can also be prone to re-injury.
Conventional athletic footwear having cleats 120, referred to herein as cleated footwear or cleat shoe 100, does not provide protection against such injuries. The toe-box 110 of conventional cleated footwear remains relatively unprotected.
Toe protection has been used for non-athletic footwear, such as work boots for some time. “Steel-toed shoes” have offered toe protection against crush injuries in all types of industries, ranging from mining, factory, automobile, etc. However, these devices are not designed for the cleated athlete.
It is desirable to protect an athlete wearing cleated footwear from a foot injury by guarding the toe-box against incursion while providing the full range of motion offered by conventional, unprotected cleats.